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June 16, 2012

Virologists File Whistleblower Lawsuit Against Merck Over MMR Vaccine

Stephen Krahlin and Joan Wlochowski, two ex-Merck virologists, have filed a whistleblower complaint against their former employer. They are claiming that Merck committed fraud against the federal government by overstating the effectiveness of its MMR vaccine. As a result, they contend, the government ended up spending hundreds of millions of dollars on about four million doses of the vaccine, used against mumps, measles, and rubella, that were, in fact, mislabeled and misbranded and not as effective as touted.

According to their Qui tam action, rather than rework the vaccine to make it more effective, Merck decided to revise its testing technique to get the desired results. The vaccine manufacturer began manipulating its clinical lab trials of the MMR-11 vaccine as early as the late 1990’s so that it could retain its monopoly as the manufacturer and seller. (In order to do this, the vaccine had to test as 95% effective.) The whistleblowers claim that they were asked to participate in Protocol 007, which is the name of this modified testing. Meantime, millions of children ended up not getting the full immunization they required.

Massachusetts Whistleblower Lawsuits
In Massachusetts, our Boston injury lawyers also represent whistleblowers with Qui tam clams filed on behalf of the government. Our Massachusetts whistleblower attorneys understand that stepping forward to expose fraud against the state or the federal government takes a lot of bravery and we are dedicated to protecting our clients’ rights and making sure they aren’t retaliated against. We have the experience, skills, and resources to take care of our whistleblower clients’ lawsuits from the beginning until its resolution.